1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exterior rearview vehicle mirrors, and more particularly, to a connector assembly that increases surface area contact between components to provide a reliable interlocking connection of a stabilizer arm to a receiver mounted to the vehicle or a mirror head support arm.
2) Description of Related Art
Typically, mirror support assemblies include a C-shaped support arm carrying a mirror head which attaches to the vehicle at its free ends. In addition, a stabilizer arm is often used that extends from the vehicle to a receiver carried on the support arm for supporting the mirror head in a more stable manner. Previous stabilizer arms have provided a releasable connection between the stabilizer arm and the receiver. This allows the mirror to be folded for various purposes, and also helps protect the mirror from breaking if it strikes an object. In some arrangements, the connecting end of the stabilizer arm uses a rubber insert to create friction in the connector joint so the stabilizer arm is held in place. However, over time the rubber wears and its friction fit may loosen. Since the type of rubber used is not very compressible, the rubber tip that provides the friction can only be compressed a certain amount. When that rubber insert wears on the generally uniform flat friction surface, it can eventually lose its grip.
An additional problem arises in maintaining the rubber insert within a holding cavity in the connector head of the stabilizer arm. To help hold the rubber insert in position, it is known to provide a protruding knob within the cavity that biases against the rubber insert to create increased surface friction to hold the rubber insert in the cavity. However, over time this biases loosens as the rubber insert wears on the knob. In the prior art, the cavity which holds the rubber insert is open at both ends. Because the connector heads of the prior art consist of an open channel, the rubber insert can be positioned improperly, such as by not being properly centered within the holding cavity. Further, when the connection between the knob and rubber insert wears, there is nothing to prevent the rubber insert from slipping out of the connector head, thus causing the connection to fail.
Prior art stabilizer arm connector assemblies also have problems in that several parts are utilized that must be fitted together in a friction fit arrangement. The rubber insert must be correctly positioned inside the connector head on the stabilizer arm, and then the connector head must be fitted into a corresponding slot in the receiver. To fit the rubber insert properly into the connector head, and then fit the connector head into the receiver can be difficult as the components may not be perfectly aligned during installation. If the parts are not fitted correctly, the stabilizer arm will not function properly and can lead to premature wearing and failure of the connection. Accordingly, seating the rubber insert in the connector head of the stabilizer arm and fitting the connector head to the receiver is critical to the functional operation of the complete connector assembly.
Further, the surface area of contact in the connector joint between the stabilizer arm connector head and receiver tends to be inconsistent and fails to take advantage of potential available surface area for a more stable and solid connection. Because it is difficult to obtain a precise alignment of the connector assembly between the stabilizer arm and support arm due to variances in alignment during installation, vehicle bodies, and other such variables, increased surface area for engagement is desired, as well as flexibility in installation tolerances to accommodate some degree of misalignment. Lack of adequate contact surface area leads to the interconnection of the connector head and the receiver being overly stressed at isolated engaging points, resulting in uneven wear that loosens the connection and ultimately results in premature failure of the connector assembly. Accordingly, there is a need for a more reliable connector assembly that provides increased surface area of engagement between the stabilizer arm and support arm, can accommodate for misalignment during installation, and which better holds the rubber insert in the connector head.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly having an increased surface area of engagement between the connector head and receiver for a more reliable connection.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide improvements for securing the rubber insert in the connector head.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connection arrangement between the connector head and receiver that accommodates misalignment between the components to provide a stable and reliable connection.